Pallanganmiddang people facts for kids
The Pallanganmiddang people, also known as the Waywurru, were an Indigenous Australian group. They lived in North-eastern Victoria, Australia. Some experts believe that older studies referring to the Djilamatang tribe and their language might actually be talking about the Pallanganmiddang or Dhudhuroa people.
Their Name
The ending -midhang or -middang was often added to tribal and clan names in this area. It might mean "mouth" or "speech," similar to a word in the Kulin language. An old map by A. W. Howitt mentions a group called "Balaung Karar." The name Balaung might be connected to "Pallang-" in Pallanganmiddang.
Their Language
The Pallanganmiddang language is part of the Upper Murray Group. The other language in this group is Dhudhuroa. Pallanganmiddang was likely spoken by people living northwest of the Dhudhuroa. However, the two languages shared very few words, only about 10.7%.
In 1878, a local resident named Thomas Mitchell wrote down 46 words of the "Pallanganmiddah" language. A.W. Howitt, an early researcher, said their language was "utterly different" from those around them. Modern research has confirmed that it was not closely related to other languages in the area.
Their Country
Maps from 1878 show the PallunganMiddah group living southeast of Wodonga. Their land was around Tangambalanga, near the northern Kiewa River. It also included the area around Tallangatta and the Mitta Mitta River. A. W. Howitt's mention of the "Balaung Karar" group southwest of Wodonga is also thought to refer to the same people.
Their Society
The Pallanganmiddang people used a special family system. It was called a "patrimoiety" system. This meant that family names and groups were passed down from the father. They had two main groups, or "moieties": the eaglehawk (called Puntyil) and the crow (called Waang or waa). This way of organizing families was common in Central Victoria.
Some Pallanganmiddang clans used Kulin terms for these groups instead of their own words. This suggests they married people from nearby Kulin groups. Two known clans were:
- Yowung-illam-balluk: This clan lived near Mount Buffalo. They belonged to the eaglehawk group.
- Warrarak-balluk: This clan lived in the Wangaratta area. They belonged to the crow group.
History of Contact
One of the earliest possible mentions of the Pallanganmiddang people is from the 1840s. It appears in the papers of George Augustus Robinson. He was the Victorian Protector of Aborigines at the time. He referred to a group as the Pal-ler a miiter.
Some Words
- bawa – dog
- berontha – crow
- karda – crayfish
- narra – wild dog
- warrantha – white man
- warrimu – eaglehawk
